I . , . ,. .-t
PUBLISHED BACH THURSDAY \ |
I^AXEKE OXROCXMA. XKHMi?<L |^^CE i'
L||12^^ "Building Communicative Bridges ^ if
PEMBROKE . N . C . In A Cri-Racial getting" e * 5
BRAWLEI CM GRAHAM
ANN O UNCES FOR
LREMC BOARD
Brawieigh Jason Graham, Tribal
Administrator for the Tuscarora
Tribe of North Carolina, announces
his candidacy for election to the
Board of Directors of the Lumbee
River Electric Membership Corpora
tion for District 3. District 3 includes
the townships of Back Swamp,
Smyrna, Britls, Wisharts, Raft
Swamp and Lumberton.
Graham, a 1972 graduate of
Pembroke State University, has
broad experience in community
development and rural issues. As
Tribal Administrator of the Tuscaro
ra Tribe, he has been successful in
the development of Hope House, a
crisis center for Runaway and
Homeless children. In addition, the
Tribe has initiated an economic
development project, A-Z Chemicals
and several other community devel
opment programs.
A native of Robeson County,
Graham has also worked in the area
of Labor Relations as a Compliance
Officer for the North Carolina
I Department of Labor, Wage and
House Division, and as the Indian
s Manpower Foiject Director for the
American Indian Study Center in
Baltimore, Maryland.
Graham, who is running at the
request of many people in the area,
stated, "I am running in order to
more adequately represent people in
my district who are concerned about
the ever escalating cost of electrical
power. I am committed to listening to
the concerns of members, and
ensuring that their complaints are
responded to in a proper manner.
"Being a member of the LREMC
Board must be more than an honor, it
has to be seen as an obligation to
participate in the long range plan
ning for our rural power needs, and
to encourage innovative manage
ment. I believe that I can provide the
energy and vision necessary to meet
the needs of all the people, not just a
select few. I am committed, also to
fair and equitable treatment of all
employees."
1988 LITTLE IV! I SS LUMBEE
PAGEANT SET EG R
JUNE 29
Little Miss Lumbee Carmen Deese
u*U relinquish her crown on Wed
Hie Little Miss Lumbee Pageant
will be held on Wednesday June 29,
nesday night as Lumbee Home
coming festivities begin.
at 7:30 p.m. at the PSU Performing
Arte Center. Admission is $5.00 per
person.
little miss lumbee contestants
1. Leanna Nicole Carter
Mr. & Mrs. Leeander Carter
S. Dei tree Dawn Clark
^ESP*
Mr.S Mn. CfHOtk
vLI
SSB$i
5. Morgan Brittany Hunt
Mr. & Mrs. Johnny R. Hunt
9. Terica Brooke Lmury
?
6. Danielle Locklear
Mr. & Mrs. tannic DeWLocldear
fc ? mi
10. Nichole Danielle Oxendine
Mr. & Mrs. Garry Oxendine
**?- **
7. La 7bre Angela Lowerg
Mr. A Mn. Lennon bowery
11. Ttimara Ann* Oxendbie
Mr. A Mrt. Lout* Oxendine m
8. Skonda Kay Lo*mry
Mr. 4 Mr*. Brmt Mat/nor
Smith
Mr, WtbtorSmOk
WHATEVER HARRENED TO. . .
Annie Bell Bullard
^ m
by Barbara Bmyboy-LocUear
special to THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE
The biggest part of Annie Bell Billiard's life has
been spent in helping "down and out" people
who needed her during times of illness or death.
And until about 12 years ago, the 86 year old
great, great grandmother obliged families as far
away as Texas.
Bullard never formally studied nursing and
says the ability to nurse must have been born in
her. "I always wanted to wait (care for) on sick
people," she says.
Her first experience in caring for the ill came
while she was attending. the Indian Normal
School. A cousin whom Bullard affectionately
called "Mama Delphie" fell ill and was
hospitalized. The patient was allowed a release
from the hospital under the condition that she
seek homecare by a nurse. Bullard was drafted for
the responsibility of nursing the patient back to
good health. Bullard and her widowed mother,
Marilda Chavis Locklear, moved in and lived with
"Mama Delphie."
After graduating from school. Bullard was
encouraged by her mother to accept an out of town
teaching position. Instead, the 18-year-old
Lumbee married Rodney Bullard. a man she'd
known for years and with whom she'd churched at
New Prospect Church.
And for reasons she cannot explained 'til this
day, the couple, all their married life, addressed
each other as "Mr. Bullard" and 'Miss Annie."
"I don't know why we did it-just did," laughs
Bullard.
A former military man, Mr. Bullard and his
bride began a life in farming outside Pembroke.
For years they worked the earth in order to
support their growing family. When he died, she
was left to raise their children, the youngest was
22 months old.
Bullard's father, Bently Lockl< ar, had died
when she waaiour yew old. He- brother d>ed in
infancy. There were no other children. Her
mother had moved in with "Mr. Bullard" and
"Miss Annie" a few years after they were
married. Bullard says her mother helped her raise
her children and lived with her until her death
years later.
As the children grew up, Bullard gradually
returned to nursing. She says her mother's
willingness to help people in need influenced her
to do the same. TTte mother-daughter home
nursing skills became recognized throughout
Robeson County.
Word spread and calls came from expectant
mothers who were nearing their delivery dates.
"Women back then always stayed home and gave
birth. And after the child came, the mother stayed
in bed for several days to rest," remembers
Bullard. She says her role was to help out with the
mother and child after birth.
It was during a prenatal assignment that
Bullkrd was introduced, unexpectantly, to mid
wifery. "The doctor had been notified that my
patient had gone into labor, but he was with
tmother woman giving birth two miles away." she
explains.
"The doctor didn't arrive in time. I got that
one," she adds. She says she knew what to do.
"I'd watched the midwife during my own
deliveries." The home nurse was to miss
attending church services three Sundays in a row
that month because she was busy delivering the
same number of babies. "Dr. Roscoe McMillian
told me he ought to give me a license to deliver
them," she laughs.
Shortly thereafter, Bullard was summoned to
San Antonio to help after the birth of a child to her
daughter in law and military-based son. After a
few weeks stay in Texas, the grandmother was
invited to spend a two-weeks stay with friends in
New York. While there, she took a nursing job. "I
went to stay for two weeks and ended up staying
two years." she says.
After her longtime female patient died, Bullard
moved back to her native Robeson County. There
she resided mostly with her youngest daughter.
Her stays were most times short because of
appeals from others in need of a home nurse.
> Her longest nursing assignment came from a
local citizen living near the four-mile curve four
miles east of Pembroke. She carefully packed her
belongings,including her pedal sewing machine,
her Bible which had traveled with her throughout
?
???? ? r
her many assignments and a formal letter of
recommendation from a New York physician. She
was to stay four years at that job. ?
Bullard says she never forgot people who had
rendered support to her and her children during
her young widowhood. Among them was Charlie
Moore, her childhood school teacher and lifelong
Prospect community resident. When Mrs.
Moore's health began to fail, Bullard was hired to
care for the wife of the man who had stuck by her
when she lost her husband.
"Mr. Moore was as good a friend as I ever had
in the world," Bullard affectionately comments.
She was in the Moore employ for
about two years.
There were several other nursing assignments
before she retired in 1976 at age 75. And even
though failing health does not allow her to actively
assist sick people, she lends comfort through
telephone calls to them. Family members
sometimes drive her for short visits to shut ins in
neighboring communities.
She no longer sews on the antique sewing
machine which sits in her rural Pembroke home.
She keeps it as a reminder of times when it was
necessary to sew for her seven children. Now a
daughter tailor makes the dresses she wears. A
longtime friend sews bonnets which she now
wears as she did as a young girt growing up in a
rural area. A niece has contributed to her
headwear wardrobe as well.
Cataract surgery has enabled her to read the
enlarged print in her Bible.She doesn't much care
for television and usually plays it for the company
of it. Recovery from a new fatal appendectomy
five years ago has been slow, but the former
church goer holds strong the Christian faith she
professed 74 years ago.
When the nurse gets emotionally puny, she
practices on herself. She recall- she was a very
young child, her father gave her a four-page
booklet entitled "The life of Christ." "I toted it
around until I wore H out I didn't vtmu ? doM
baby. I just wanted my little book "" *
Yep! Memories of the words contained in the
book serve as a big dose of medicine for the nurse
who served others so well.
Annie Bell Bullard, wearing a favorite bonnet, casts a smile.
?? H Mill IIP 'HJWi 'W
IS. Shelly Ronita Strickland
Mr. & Mrt. Ronald Strickland
1988 Awards
Banquet
Recipients
N amed
Lunbe* Regional Development
Association. Inc. and Jaimbee Home
coming 1986 proudly announce* this
year's four (4) Recipients as follows:
1) Henry Berry Lowefy Award ?
Mr. Ronald Hammonds, a resident at
the 8addletree Community.
8) Business Person of the Year
Award - Mrs. Jane C. Oxendine, a
resident of Pembroke. N.C.
3) Distinguished Service Award -
Rev. Welton Lowiy, a resident of
Pembroke. N.C.
4) Advancement of Education
Award ? Mrs. Linda Hammonds, a
resident of the Saddletree Com
munity.
The 1988 Awards Banquet will be
held on June 30, 1988 at the
Pembroke Junior High School Cafe
teria beginning at 7:30 p.m. This
year's tickets are 16.50 per person.
Tickets can be secured by contacting
Gary Deeae. Awards Banquet Com
mittee Chairman at 521-0354 or
521-0664. Admission tickets can also
be secured " at the door'' on June 80,
1988.
ITte General Public is encouraged
to attend. ~TTi
tk